The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Working with a power tool, such as a sander or a grinder, often means being surrounded by a mass of dust and debris dispersed into the air by operation of the power tool. A user may desire to run a vacuum whenever he is operating the power tool. Presently available dust collection systems require connecting the power tool to the vacuum itself, which may increase the cost of the vacuum since the power handling requirements of the vacuum would be based on power consumed by the vacuum as well as the power tool. Inside the vacuum, the hot and neutral conductors supplying power to the power tool would be separated, and a current transformer around one or the other allows for current measurement. The vacuum turns on when current is sensed going to the power tool.
Other available dust collection systems require the user to plug the power tool into an AC line splitter, which has a female power plug for a power cord of the power tool, a male power plug for connecting to the wall (or an extension cord), and a middle section where the hot and neutral conductors are physically separated. A current transformer may be built into the AC line splitter to measure the current through one of the conductors. Alternatively, a snap around meter may be clamped around one of the separated conductors to measure current.